The Morning Briefing: Google Cancels Diversity Town Hall, ISIS Bids on Ebay and Much, Much More

Good Friday Morning.

Here is what is on the President’s agenda today:

In the afternoon, President Donald J. Trump will participate in a workforce/apprenticeship discussion.
Later in the afternoon, the President will meet with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.

Google cancels town hall because SAFETY

Google CEO Sundai Pinchai has cancelled a company-wide town hall to discuss [their own?] gender discrimination.

Pichai said in an email to staff that several Google employees became fearful for their safety and grew concerned about being outed for speaking up at the town hall.

He said the company will aim to create several other forums “where people can feel comfortable to speak freely.” Pichai’s email was sent about an hour before the event was to start Thursday afternoon.

Apparently, the names of some employees were leaked when Wired Magazine published screenshots of internal discussion forums.

Google’s internal “Dory” system allows employees to ask questions and then vote on questions posed by other employees so managers can address the most pressing ones. Wired magazine published some of the questions verbatim online Thursday. Screenshots of the questions with names attached had been leaked, although none with names had been published as of late Thursday, a Google spokeswoman said.

Maybe it’s time for the government to get involved with Google’s employment practices? Google is a government contractor, and contractors have to follow certain rules regarding employment discrimination. Are those rules being followed? Let’s get some congressional hearings going, testimony under oath, expert witnesses, former employees and so on. If the situation was reversed and Google were a church, the Democrats would already have several dog and pony shows lined up for a public spectacle.

ISIS used Ebay to launder money

According to the FBI, the Islamic State was funneling money to an ISIS operative via bogus Ebay auctions.

ISIS used bogus eBay deals to funnel money to an operative in the U.S., according to a report Thursday.

Mohamed Elshinawy was arrested in Maryland more than a year ago following a detailed FBI investigation, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a 2016 indictment.

Elshinawy is accused of pretending to sell computer printers on eBay to get ISIS payments through PayPal.

The accused was part of a global network.

The 30-something man, who pledged allegiance to the terror group, was part of a global network that operated from the UK to Bangladesh and was run by Siful Sujan — a senior ISIS leader who was killed in a 2015 air strike, according to an FBI affidavit.

Elshinawy admitted the money was supposed to be used to carry out attacks on the U.S., although he said he never followed through with the attacks.

NRA, Dana Loesch attacked by crazy congresswoman

Anyone who holds a differing political view is a “domestic security threat” according to one Democrat congresswoman from New York.

A Democratic congresswoman from New York called the National Rifle Association (NRA) and its spokeswoman “domestic security threats” in a tweet Thursday night.

Rep. Kathleen Rice claimed Dana Loesch, a prominent figure in the NRA, and the organization itself were becoming growing threats under President Donald Trump that could no longer be ignored.

Loesch responded to the tweets, asking Rice for further explanation as to how she and other NRA members are security threats.

Dana responded to the bizarre statement:

“Hi Congresswoman, can you explain why you say I and millions of members are “domestic security threats?” Thank you,” Loesch quote-tweeted the congresswoman.

“Rephrase: An elected gov’t official just labeled me and millions of others ‘domestic security threats.’Wow,” Loesch said in another tweet.

Does Rice think those of us who are “domestic security threats” should be locked up? This is just another reason to be thankful the Democrats don’t hold any political power, at least formally.

Today in history:

Fans surround crooner Frank Sinatra as he arrives in Pasadena, Calif., Aug. 11, 1943, for Hollywood film and singing engagements. (AP Photo/John T. Burns)

Other morsels:

Health insurers weigh double-digit premium increases amid Trump ‘uncertainty’: Study

Chinese mother tries to mail her baby to an orphanage

Trump administration defends travel ban at Supreme Court

Chelsea Manning appears in swimsuit in Vogue

Trump says he doesn’t think Iran is complying with nuclear agreement

Trump dossier author Christopher Steele fights deposition for U.S. court

CNN fires Jeffrey Lord after Nazi salute tweet

Hillary’s Pastor Compared Her Election Loss To Jesus’ Death And Resurrection

Now there’s a college course on dealing with the ‘social justice issue’ of ‘fat studies’

Trump says he’s ‘doing the military a favor’ with transgender soldier ban

Oklahoma Supreme Court rules fee on cigarettes unconstitutional